Floors used in larger commercial and military aircraft cargo bays and passenger cabins typically comprise multiple components that may be joined together using discrete fasteners. These components may include multiple floor panels sections that must be joined together at seams to form the floor, as well as seat tracks, floor beams, equipment and other reinforcing members, all of which may be fastened together to form a relatively large assembly.
Floors of the type described above may be expensive to fabricate because of the labor required to assemble multiple components, and may be relatively heavy because of the materials that are used, and the relatively large number of required fasteners. The production processes and labor required to assemble the large number of components with the required tolerances may be time consuming, and therefore may not be best suited to high volume production.
Accordingly, there is a need for a structural light-weight floor for aircraft that is well suited to high production flow. There is also a need for a floor having integrated components that reduce or obviate the need for fasteners and which exhibits improved impact resistance, lower acoustic transmission and reduced overall thickness.